"WHO WAS IT?!"
Inside the hollowed core of the Central Tree, Grand Lord Gatmont's roar shook the surrounding wood like thunder.
In one year, everything had unraveled.
First — the assassination of his closest ally, Yislut.
Then — the unexplained erosion of his authority.
Then — distrust.
Then — retaliatory killings among the lords.
And still, the true instigator remained hidden.
Of the original thirty-six lords, only eight remained firmly under his command.
The others had fortified their own territories and were already maneuvering for dominance.
Civil war was no longer a possibility.
It was inevitable.
And all of it traced back to Yislut's death.
A Phantom Enemy
Gatmont had elevated new perception-type Hollows over the past year.
None matched Yislut.
None could reconstruct the missing reiatsu traces.
None could identify the hidden hand behind the chaos.
However, the new detection network had revealed something unsettling:
Two unfamiliar Adjuchas had appeared within Yin Feng's sphere of influence.
Combined with Yin Feng's sealing abilities and the nature of the assassination, suspicion naturally fell upon him.
Yet over the past year:
Yin Feng had fought for Gatmont multiple times
he had shielded Gatmont from a fatal ambush
he had sustained severe injuries protecting him
Gradually, Gatmont's suspicion faded.
Unbeknownst to him…
the ambush…
the injury…
the rescue…
had all been orchestrated by Sombravida.
Every detail carefully designed to build trust.
Manufactured Weakness
Sombravida never revealed his concealment or spatial manipulation abilities.
Instead, he attributed his strength to bursts of reiatsu reinforcement.
Nel likewise limited her displayed abilities.
She appeared merely capable of high-speed movement, never demonstrating:
Lanzador Verde (Emerald Lance) level precision
Cero repetition
high-level combat technique
To outside observers, they appeared competent — but not exceptional.
Not threats.
This perception allowed Sombravida to operate beneath Gatmont's suspicion.
While other factions grew wary…
Gatmont lowered his guard.
Negotiation Pressure
"My lord," a subordinate reported urgently,
"the rebels have sent negotiators."
Inside the Central Tree chamber, the remaining loyal lords convened.
Yin Feng sat silently in shadow.
Sombravida and Nel stood beside Jekain's alias position, listening without speaking.
"The rebels demand," the messenger continued,
"that we relinquish the western forest resources and provide an explanation for the recent assassinations."
"Dream on!" Gatmont's reiatsu surged violently.
"If I had crushed them the moment they showed disloyalty, this would never have happened!"
Fracture of Authority
Two months earlier, the final plenary assembly had collapsed into violence.
Assassinations and distrust pushed tensions beyond control.
Open conflict erupted.
Though Gatmont suppressed the clash through overwhelming force, the lords withdrew and fortified.
Now the forest was divided into five territorial powers.
Sombravida's faction occupied the eastern region.
Jekain secretly controlled three territories within it.
The Military Reality
"My lord," said the newly promoted sensory Hollow — a floating organism resembling a drifting plankton mass, trailing sensory tendrils.
"We are surrounded."
"The four factions together possess nearly one hundred Adjuchas."
"We have barely fifty."
"Even with your strength, you cannot face them all."
Gatmont clenched his fists.
"I know that!"
"But am I to tolerate this humiliation?!"
His rage trembled on the edge of reason.
Jekain's Proposal
"My lord," Jekain stepped forward calmly,
"I have a strategy."
Silence fell.
"Instead of confronting their strength, we exploit their weakness."
"A flanking doctrine."
"We eliminate the weakest faction first — swiftly and decisively — to warn the others."
Gatmont's eyes sharpened.
"Explain."
Strategic Withdrawal Doctrine
"My lord," Jekain continued,
"Kieras's faction is the weakest."
"They possess only two mid-level Adjuchas besides Kieras himself. The remainder are low-level."
"If we disrupt their resource flow, they will stagnate."
He paused.
"This requires sacrifice."
"The Central Tree may need to be abandoned temporarily."
Murmurs erupted.
Jekain continued:
"If defense becomes untenable, we allow the factions to contest the Tree."
"Meanwhile, we concede western forest resources as delay tactics."
"But first — we evacuate conscious Gillians via Garganta routes."
"Unconscious Gillians cannot all be saved."
"During negotiations and redeployment, we strike one or two lords decisively."
"With uneven resources, their alliance fractures."
"We then withdraw strategically and erode their strength over time."
The Price of Pride
Gatmont fell silent.
To accept meant relinquishing prestige.
To refuse meant annihilation.
"My lord," Jekain added,
"If the hidden instigator remains undiscovered, we may lose the strength required for the Holy War."
"The Northern Forest will not wait."
Time was running out.
War Logic Prevails
Gatmont exhaled slowly.
"…very well."
"We begin with Kieras."
"I will lead the southern offensive."
"Yinfeng — take eastern and northern forces."
"Disrupt supply routes. Drive enemy Gillians west."
"Leave ten Adjuchas as decoys. Evacuate the Central Tree."
"We begin with two territories."
"Yes, Lord."
The council dispersed.
Sombravida's Opportunity
As they exited the Central Tree, Sombravida remained silent.
This decision perfectly aligned with his own objectives.
It granted him operational freedom.
It fractured supply lines.
It created chaos he could exploit.
And it allowed him to plunder resources under the cover of war.
A New Target
Back within Jekain's territory, he knelt.
"My king… the opportunity has arrived."
Sombravida nodded.
"Who is nearest to us?"
"Pyromon," Jekain replied.
"Mid-tier Adjuchas. Power-type."
"Capable of seismic shockwaves through physical force."
Sombravida's eyes sharpened.
"Excellent prey."
Preparation for Predation
Sombravida ordered reconnaissance immediately.
Tasks:
map terrain
• track Gillian migration routes
• identify resource concentrations
• locate Adjuchas patrol patterns
They would strike once Gatmont's southern offensive began.
The Trap
One week later, Sombravida, Nel, Jekain, and three allied lords moved into Pyromon's border territory.
A hill overlooking a migration corridor was excavated, forming a natural funnel.
Subordinates drove Gillians toward the kill zone.
Jekain sealed the perimeter.
Sombravida assassinated targets silently.
Nel disposed of remains.
No reiatsu traces lingered.
Wave after wave of Gillians vanished.
Resources flowed.
Power grew.
And no one noticed.
Resource Collapse
As weeks passed, Pyromon's territory began to thin.
Gillian numbers dropped sharply.
Even sentient ones disappeared.
Suspicion grew.
Inside his domain, Pyromon confronted his subordinates.
"Why have Gillians declined so drastically?"
"My lord," a subordinate replied,
"large numbers have vanished near our southern border."
"I suspect a newly formed sand fissure entrance."
Pyromon's eyes hardened.
"Investigate immediately."
"If a dune breach exists — seal it."
"Yes, my lord."
But there was no fissure.
Only a predator.
And he was already inside the territory.
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